Regret
by Zirocks
Summary: The Fourth Shinobi War had ended, the alliance failed. Naruto was resurrected and sent back to set things right. NarutoXAnko
1. Chapter 1

Pain. Sweet, beautiful, euphoric pain. Pain was good, it meant you were alive, not that it mattered. Muscles spasmed and twitched, his nerves were still responsive, his chest compressed and decompressed, heart beating in tandem. Blue eyes fluttered open, blurry and blind. A groan erupted from his lips, barely heard even in silence.

One hand in front of the other, fingers twitching as the senses returned. He felt dirt, rocks and dampness. He tasted metal, grit. Spitting it out he groaned once more. He couldn't hear anything other than the soft call of the wind. He rested upon his knees, unsure if they wanted to work yet. Fingers danced across his eyes as he brushed away the earth and crust.

Blue eyes opened once again and took in the world around him. Black and grey. Everything was coated in a fine sheen of grey with black underneath, charcoal and ash. The battlefield where he lost. He glanced down, his jumpsuit was ripped to shreds, revealing the scar where Sasuke hit him with a Chidori five years ago, the only thing not to heal. Now there was another, five to be exact, in a near perfect circle in the centre of his chest. The claws of the Kurama.

The blond closed his eyes, tears threatening to release. He had always said he would kill him once he escaped.

XXX

_Naruto watched as a bipedal creature drew closer, its nine tails swinging behind it freely. The beast clicked its claws together, it was like the sound of flint. He watched as the claws elongated into the length of kunai's. The beast chuckled darkly at the immobile blond. "__**I told you Kit, once I was free I would kill you. Begone.**__" Kurama rammed his claws into the blond, puncturing through his heart and lungs. The blond gurgled on his own blood before his eyes shut due to the darkness, but he saw the regret in Kurama's eyes._

XXX

Naruto chuckled humourlessly, his claws were the size of kunai's, width and all. He wouldn't be surprised if they punctured right through him. He opened his eyes once more, there was nothing left, no-one left. He gripped the ratty remains of his jumpsuit and ripped it off, leaving him in his frayed pants and tattered sage cloak.

He winced as he stood up, his legs shaking in pain. He had no idea how long he was dead for, or how he was even alive. Naruto ignored all of this and trudged on through the ash. Despite the destroyed environment, he knew where he was, an hours walk from Konoha, the Forest of Death.

'Forest of Ash now,' he thought, 'must've gotten funny in the afterlife.'

His throat was dry and cracked, swallowing copious amounts of ash didn't help either. He turned slightly and walked for a minute before falling to his knees. A river ran through the forest, allowing a boat to send supplies to the tower that was in the centre, the large river allowed the forest to thrive since its creation.

Naruto placed his hands on the moving ash and pulsed his chakra feebly, but still managed to creat a mild wind to push it away to the crystal clean element. He dunked his head it, cleaning and drinking at the same time. After nearly a minute he pulled his head out, gasping in the air. Realising his mistake he choked on more ash. Naruto coughed it out before drinking more water and breathing properly. He watched his reflection in the rippling water. His eyes were a dull blue and his whisker marks were faint but still there.

His blond hair stuck to his face, the bangs nearly covering his eyes. He hadn't cut it since the war started and he swore he was looking into his fathers' face. He smiled a little, not that it would change anything. Naruto stood back up again, it didn't hurt as much as before. He looked back at his reflection once more and noticed something he didn't before.

Between his neck and shoulder blade was a small spiral with a dark orange diamond in the centre. It reminded him of something, but he wasn't sure. Tears suddenly sprung to his eyes. "Baa-chan…" Tsunade had made him a Yin seal like hers.

XXX

_Naruto stood before Madara, Sasuke and Obito Uchiha, the last three of their clan. Two if you didn't count Madara as he was using Edo Tensei on himself. The four of them just stood still, taking in each other. Naruto knew he couldn't take on three Uchiha himself, not when each of them were powerful in their own right._

_A small puff of smoke didn't even distract him as it cleared from his shoulder. He felt something crawl slightly and settle itself. "__**Naruto-san, Tsunade-sama is using the rest of her chakra to heal the others and yourself.**__" It was part of Tsunade's summon, Katsuyu._

"_Thank you Katsuyu-chan. This will help greatly." Naruto thanked the slug as she nodded in return. He felt a slight prick on his skin and thought nothing of it._

_Madara snorted, "So the Senju still lives, pity. She won't be much longer." Naruto snarled as he put his hands in his most popular jutsu._

"_**Kagebunshin no Jutsu**__"_

XXX

'So that was what that prick was. Katsuyu placed a Yin seal. The small spiral must represent how long until its full again.' Naruto mused as he turned away from his reflection and continued to walk towards Konoha.

Once again it didn't take him that long, time had no meaning to him as of now. Naruto walked around the back of the Hokage Monument, the Forest of Death was north of Konoha, the Stadium to the west and the hot-springs to the east. Training grounds were along the edges of Konoha's boundaries while the main districts were kept within the Shodai's walls. Agriculture was around the walls and deep into forests and in certain plotted lands dotted within the walls, generally to the south.

Naruto circumnavigated the Monument and froze at what he had found, Konoha lay in ruins. From his spot he could see the southern gate, a good five kilometres from where he was. Seeing the gate would be nigh impossible, but it was, nothing but burnt out buildings and ash covered streets. He slammed his fist into the mountain face. 'So it reached even this far. Damn you Sasuke…'

XXX

_Sasuke stood before Naruto, shrouded in his complete Susanoo form, completely unharmed from their short battle. Only because he used Susanoo straight of the bat. Sasuke chuckled at the heavily breathing blond. "So Naruto, dobe, it seems you still couldn't match up to the power of an Uchiha. Pity, I thought of you as a rival, someone who would force me to get stronger and stronger to beat him and my brother. But it seems that roles were reversed, it was you measuring yourself to me. Pathetic."_

_Naruto snarled, "Pathetic? Let's see who's really pathetic, drop Susanoo and fight me like a true Shinobi, not some coward hiding behind his brother." This got the desired reaction. Sasuke dropped Susanoo._

"_Hiding behind my brother? He's dead, I killed him."_

"_Why do you think you have a complete, it's Itachi's, not yours. Itachi, he was a true shinboi, not some hack that rode his coattails. If anything, you're still measuring yourself to me. Always getting things handed to you and never working for it yourself." Naruto retorted, a large grin on his face. "You will forever walk in your brothers shadow."_

_Sasuke screamed in rage, Susanoo burst forward once more in a torrent of purple chakra and black flames. "__**Nagareru Amaterasu**__" The unquenchable black flames burst forward in a racing wave. Naruto ordered a clone storing Nature Chakra to disperse, allowing to gain it and jumped high over tidal wave of black fire. Never knowing that it cut through the Forest of Death with ease and flowed over the Hokage Monument and into Konoha itself._

XXX

Naruto punched the mountain again and again, before sinking to his knees and clutched a broken fist. Anyone left in Konoha were incinerated on the spot, the amount of fire Sasuke unleashed was like flowing magma. He took solace in the fact that they never even felt it. Surprisingly, the walls and gates made by the Shodai remained, only with a few scorch marks to signify that they even been touched.

The blond watched as his hand healed itself, it took longer than normal. He had always thought it was the Kyuubi, but in fact it was always him, he just sped up the process. After sitting in the ashen street for twenty minutes, the ex-Jinchuriki forced chakra into his feet and launched himself into the air and stuck onto the monument. It was time to see how much had been destroyed.

XXX

Madara Uchiha looked out over the dead village of Konohagakure, the treasure he had helped found and destroy. All he wanted was peace, the never-ending feuds between clans and communities of his youth had helped cement his resolve. He and Hashirama became good friends after a few fights between the two, a bond forged by battle. They had founded the first Hidden Village, where it was controlled by military rule for those with the gift of harnessing chakra to its full potential.

He was complacent for a time, the long lasting feud between Senju and Uchiha at its end. Unfortunately, the past always caught up with the present. Thoughts entered his mind, the Senju were superior to everyone else and not even the Uchiha could stop them. As time went on, those dark words gained a foothold into his mind, controlling and corrupting the Senju were despite their small numbers, but that's what made them special.

Highly skilled in everything, battle to household chores, everything. Hashirama could even control the elements that were thought to be uncontrollable, like nature. He even tamed the Biju, created by the Rikudou Sennin. The perfect being, just like the Sennin wanted. Madara's silent torment turned into rage. Just like hundreds of years before, the older brother tried to kill the younger as their father believed the youngest was the chosen one. No more.

He challenged the Shodai to single combat, their destructive powers were evenly matched, for a time. But Madara could control things as well. He summoned the Kyuubi and forced it upon Hashirama. With him occupied Madara tried to kill him, but Hashirama's meddling wife had followed and sealed the beast within herself. The Shodai's Mokuton turned on him and he was thought to be crushed to paste.

The beautiful art of Genjutsu, the perfect illusion that made the Shodai and his wife believe he was dead. For a time he was, only to re-emerge fifty years later during the Third Shinobi War, when a young Uchiha sacrificed himself to save his comrades. That was what true path to peace. One person sacrificing themselves for the sins and mistakes of others, including them.

Madara rescued the young boy, and told him of his plan to place the world in an infinite Genjutsu, so peace could be obtained. Twenty years of preparation and planning paid off, the Eye of the Moon plan was a success, or so he thought.

The resurrected Shinobi didn't even bother turning around as he heard the light footsteps of a beaten man. "I was wondering how long it would take, Uzumaki." His voice was monotone, depraved of emotion and life.

A small snort came from behind him, "Figures you would've noticed, otherwise you would have just incinerated me. I only spotted it an hour ago." The voice had a slight humorous tone to it, but depressing none the less.

"Indeed." A cloud that was covering the moon disappeared, bathing the world before them in a dark red. "This is not the type of peace I was hoping for." The zombie uncrossed his arms and let them hang by his side. He could undo the Edo Tensei and pretend none of this happened.

"That's what you get when you use insane people. The curse of the Uchiha, perhaps Itachi should have killed _everyone_ that night. A plan years in the making, even before I was born and it all came down to a insignificant fact at that time." Madara could hear the sarcasm and heartbreak, he wouldn't deny it.

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty young man. I should have known, after all it happened to me." Naruto found it weird that he was talking casually to the man who literally destroyed the world or peace.

"It seems the past always catches up in the end. Did you really believe the Rikudou Sennin when he said the world will know peace."

"Boy, I wasn't even alive back then. His teachings came through his descendants and their descendants. Facts are warped with lies and theories, but in the end, I thought it could be achieved within my lifetime."

Naruto stepped beside the man and sat down on the edge of the monument, the only thing unaffected by Amaterasu. "I believe it, it certainly won't happen now, but perhaps in a few thousand years from now, when people can truly respect and trust one another. Placing them in a fake dream can't do that, emotions will conflict with what's happening and someone will eventually break free, become immune and then the cycle repeats itself.

"All one can do it push it in one direction and hope for the best." A smile smile graced his lips, "Jiraiya-sensei once told me that there would be a day when people truly understand one another, that will be the day that true peace is obtained, not forced upon them."

Naruto and Madara sat/stood in a comfortable silence, both taking in what the blond said. Madara spoke up, his voice resonating across the ruined village. "The true measure of a Shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies. I died a coward, trying to escape death and secure a fake dream for the world I once loved. Now it lies in ruin and sleeps within a nightmare, waiting until it wakes up and repeats the cycle of destruction and pain." Madara looked down at the blond, an image of his younger brother Izuna overlapped him. "Naruto, stand." The blond did what he was asked, even knowing that he could defy him.

"This world is doomed, it was the moment I conceived the idea to place the world in an never-ending Genjutsu. As proud as I am to admit it, even in death, you are correct. The infinite Tsukuyomi wouldn't hold forever, as will the Juubi. If something isn't done now, everything will cease to exist, as such, I've come up with a new plan."

Naruto looked at him sceptically, "And this plan worked well didn't it." If Madara had any emotion he would've laughed, maybe.

"Perhaps, but it takes the destruction of everything I once held dear to see the truth. I should have let myself stay dead and have never saved Obito, despite having to kill him in the end. My new plan is simple, kill Obito and Sasuke. With them dead, this will never happen again, unless I'm resurrected by Kabuto again."

The blond just laughed, "Ok then, I'll just go back in time and do that then, which way to the closest time portal?" Sarcasm just dripped from his voice. Madara gripped the young man around his throat.

"I'm being serious boy, do not tempt me to leave the world as it is." Naruto nodded feebly, Madara slightly released his grip as not to choke the blond to death, but didn't let him go. "Now listen carefully, I do not know what will happen, space-time ninjutsu is dangerous for a reason, but I'm dead with an unlimited source of chakra, but you, will probably die. But that's a chance I'm willing to take."

Naruto just gaped, before screaming in pain as Madara pulled out his right eye, "Stop being a baby." The immortal chided as blood splashed across his cracked face. The undead Uchiha dropped the blue eyeball and reached for his own right eye, before removing it and placing it into Naruto's empty socket. His hand glowed green as he healed the implanted appendage. Madara released his grip on the blond, who dropped to the ground in a heap.

"Now you have an eye of the most powerful being in existence. Be warned though, since you are not a true Uchiha it is taxing to use, so use it wisely." Naruto just nodded his head, face still in the dirt. He knew how draining it was, well Kakashi did. "With it you can use Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and even Susanoo, but I don't know what would happen if you do. Do you remember what you have to do?"

Naruto groaned as he rose to his knees, "Of course, Madara-sama. Kill Sasuke and Obito, if they become a threat."

Madara raised an eyebrow, "If?"

"I was thinking, what if I somehow changed the future events, like Sasuke not being such an emo douchebag, he wouldn't have joined Orochimaru and Obito would have never sank his claws into him and the plan. Obito will still die, but perhaps teaching Sasuke the true values of family and being a Shinobi will help establish a better Uchiha in the future."

Madara sighed at the optimistic blond, that was an odd sense of emotion. "Whatever, you only have one chance, screw it up and it's back to this," He waved his hand over the ruins. The Uchiha then smirked, "Let's see if you survive this, improvisation was never good at." The raven haired man flashed through seals faster than Naruto had ever seen.

'Wait, he said improvisation… the sadistic fucker is making this up as he goes along!'

"**Jikan no Gyaku**"


	2. Chapter 2

Blackness, that was the only colour, or shade. It didn't matter, nothing could be seen. His senses had left him once again, and that scared him to no end. He had died once, not that he remembered anything, and no he couldn't feel, hear, taste, see or smell anything. He knew his eyes were open, did he? Generally one could feel if his eyelids were shifting, perhaps his were sewn shut and painkillers were administered. Yes, that would make sense, someone had found him, noticed he had a sharingan and sewed his eyes shut so he couldn't use it. Or they had taken both, thinking that they could gain the power.

No, paranoia was a powerful thing. It was fear and anxiety rolled into one, never trusting, never believing except what you could feel. He spread his arms out, searching, coming up with nothing. He could be in a nailed coffin six feet deep, and he would never know. He put his hands were he thought his face was. He then pulsed, instinctively circulating a secondary force within him. He began to feel warm, he could smell, a sweet smell, a natural smell of leaves, grass, animals, and ramen.

His eyes instantly snapped open, only a slight blurry image this time, dark green leaves softly swayed over his face, dancing in time with the soft embrace of the wind. Beyond the leaves sat the stars across the wide stretch of black sky, a full moon, a beautiful pale yellowish white. No Infinite Tsukuyomi, no smell of blood, destruction and death, no-one crying out in pain and whimpering as their life was forfeit to the army of white. A sense of normality washed over the blond, had Madara's insane technique worked?

Naruto groaned his he shifted his weight onto his stomach, a sudden feeling of uneasiness came with it. He sat there until it subsided, looking around cautiously. The trees around him were familiar, he couldn't forget tall gnarled one right behind him, taking refuge in it when he was up here during a storm when he was young. He was on top of the Hokage Monument, where he expected he might have turned up considering this was where the Jutsu took place.

The queasy feeling in his stomach had disappeared, Naruto carefully stood onto his feet, the grass beneath them tickled lightly. He walked across the soft, coming to stop on the edge of the monument. He stepped off and landed on solid rock, he walked forward some more before sitting down on a perfect flat piece on top of the Yondaime Hokage's head.

Naruto looked out over the village, it's nightlife tiny ants from where he sat. A gentle wind blew across him, caressing him before floating away. It wasn't cold, but warm, a welcoming return home. A small smile graced his lips. 'It's good to be home.'

XXX

It seemed that Madara's Jutsu made him retain his teenager form, technically young adult, luckily he had found out while on top of the monument and not down in the streets where the young paraded about. The night was young, only around eight if the moon's position was correct.

Naruto meandered around the streets, he was wearing a simple high collared white button-up shirt, black pants and black Shinobi sandals, which were quite fashionable even amongst civilians. His first goal was to establish whereabouts in time he was, which could range to either before he was born to his three year training trip with Jiraiya.

His mouth twitched into what's between a smirk and a smile, 'It's going to be hard seeing them alive again, hope I don't burst into tears.' The blond was tempted to go to Ichiraku's, at least then he would get the year just by looking at Ayame. 'If she's even born yet.'

He steeled himself and decided against it until he was ready. Things needed to be handled with a level-headed calm and premeditated plan. But like most plans, something will always go wrong.

XXX

Kakashi Hatake, also known as Ookami or Wolf while on duty, watched as the blond man walked along the streets of his village. He looked exactly like the late Yondaime, who died two years previously. He had been following him since the Hokage Monument, when he had awoken from a type of sleep after crashing into the earth from the sky.

Kakashi was there, he was looking over the village on the monument like his sensei used to do. It was the most serene spot within the Village, the and the quiet was perfect for reading and relaxing. Until a man falls out of the sky and nearly crushes you.

_He had been minding his own business, reading his orange book while keeping out his senses, waiting to catch anything amiss with the barrier or on the streets. The ANBU was getting to a good part of his book when he felt a massive chakra spike right above him. With the size of the spike he was surprised no-one had sensed it, or it was so focused on a single point and he just felt it due to the proximity. Kakashi had rolled to the side as something went crunch right next to his ear. He leapt up with his hand on the tanto that was strapped to his back and looked at what had appeared._

_The silver haired man nearly had a heart attack, it was his sensei. He had released his tanto and knelt down by him, it was then he realised it wasn't. Minato had a darker shade of blond hair and it wasn't as long as the man's. Minato also didn't have faint whisker markings, either they were tattoos, birthmarks or scars. Kakashi would bet his Icha-Icha that they were birthmarks._

_Kakashi took in the man's clothing, frayed black pants and a tattered red cloak with red flames on the bottom. It looked like the clothing was mauled by one of the giant tigers in the Forest of Death, but there was nothing wrong with him. He poked the man with a stick that suddenly appeared in his hand, and his eyes narrowed when he turned his head and saw the dark orange diamond surrounded by a swirling spiral. It looked like Lady Tsunade's Yin Seal, a well-kept secret that would normally end up with someone dead by her hands. The only person who knew what it was was Jiraiya of the Sannin, her teammate. He had helped her create since seals were his specialty._

_So either this man was a thief and somehow survived getting the information about it from Tsunade or Jiraiya, or he was close enough to them to have one. The spiral must have been an added edition, his guess would be a countdown until it could be used again._

_Kakashi kept checking over his unconscious corpse, a seal had been found underneath his left wrist, a simple storage seal if he was right. He placed his finger on the seal and pulsed chakra into it, no effect. 'Blood-sealed, advanced stuff.' Other than that there was nothing wrong with the man, other than the fact that he was comatose. The ANBU thought about taking him to the hospital, but something in him said no. He followed his instincts as all Shinobi should and dragged him into the shade of the tree._

_He had then smelt blood, looking at the grass he saw that it was stained red. Kakashi flipped him over, "So that's what went crunch. I don't remember taking it off though." His mask had shattered under the force and now the shards were embedded in his back._

Kakashi had removed the shards and used an E-ranked blood cleaning jutsu, he was really surprised one had even been created, it was basically a Doton technique that drew the blood into the earth, leaving no trace whatsoever.

The silver-haired ANBU had followed and watched him since he awoke on top of the monument. The man himself hadn't done anything wrong, it was the fact that he fell from the sky and had not one, but two really advanced seals on him, the latter more so. Now Kakashi just had to figure out who he was and his intentions, the Hokage should know that a stranger lurks within the Village, but chances are he already knows and Kakashi doesn't want to disturb him without proper info. His musings were cut short as the man stopped outside of an eating establishment, a large red sign proclaiming _Flaming Dangos_.

XXX

Naruto pushed open the door to the restaurant or café, the inside wasn't much in his opinion, fair few tables, booths and a main bar with stools. The sweet smell of the dumplings and other foods wafted from the open view of the kitchen. The café had roughly twenty customers as dangos were mostly a treat item due to the sweetness and consistency, it was also due to the fact that it was a bar as well, selling alcohol and such. With such a combination you would find the sweet-tooth inclined who also liked to get drunk.

Not that was what Naruto was thinking as he entered, he glanced at his surroundings some more and chose a corner booth, where he could see and hear everything with ease and it was also shrouded in a bit of darkness. As he sat a waitress came over, "What can I get for you?"

Naruto inwardly shrugged, "Just a plate of mitarashi dango please along with a bottle of sake." The waitress nodded before actually looking at him and continued on with a small blush on her face. The blond smirked, 'Still got it.' He looked around the establishment some more, there were only a few civilians in the room and the rest were Shinobi, most were Chunin judging by the vests and the experience that eluded them, a few Jounin that were drinking away memories of the departed and the more vicious missions and someone that nearly made his jaw drop.

'Shouldn't be surprised.' He rebuked himself, by herself at the bar sat Anko Mitarashi, the apprentice of Orochimaru. What surprised him the most was the fact that she was young, even child looking compared to how young she was during his time. The purple haired kunoichi wore he trademark tan coat and short burnt orange skirt, but that was it. Instead of the fishnet shirt that hid practically nothing she had on a purple t-shirt with black tribal highlights on it and her hair was in a ponytail, not the usual spikey one at that. If Naruto had to guess he'd swear the girl looked no more than fourteen.

Her face lacked the certain sexy feminity that she has when she gets older, from a short glance her eyes were still the dark pupiless brown but they didn't have the certain defiant spark. In short, Orochimaru's defection only happened recently, a month or so if the amount of bottles that surrounded her held true. Once the hitai-ate is donned, one is considered an adult. Most don't abuse it, but in the case of legally purchasing alcohol it was open season that was quickly closed. Shinobi don't like having their senses dulled, even when in their home village.

Naruto quickly did the math in his head, a recent addition due to the war, if Anko looked fourteen and she was about twenty-six when he had met her in the Chunin Exams… A small storm cloud hung around his head. 'Great, the bastard sent me about ten years too early. Now I have to wait until they become Genin to actually do something. He was snapped out of his mild depression as his meal and drink arrived, he grinned foxily at the waitress who went bright red and disappeared. 'She was cute.' The blond thought absentmindedly as he ate the sweet dumplings, a few other things crossed his mind as he did.

'Since I'm stuck this far back, did anything crucial happen leading up to my graduation other than the Uchiha Massacre when teme became even more emo… Kumo's attempted kidnapping when Hinata-chan was three, and the Kyuubi attack, which has already passed.' The ex-Jinchuriki sighed, some things were going to change and he didn't know if it would make everything better or worse. The café door opened up and a man with silvery, gravity defying hair walked in wearing a blackish blue once piece with a red swirl on the shoulder and hitai-ate over his left eye.

Naruto knew that it was Kakashi, he had been followed by the lazy Jounin/ANBU since the monument. The reason he knew is because you didn't fight and train under someone for so long without learning their chakra signature. The off-duty ANBU sat at the bar on the corner closest to him, the bartender walked up to him for his order. The blond inwardly shrugged and carried on with his own business. Kakashi can be easily dealt with if he sticks in beak in too far.

Naruto listened to the conversations around him, gathering what information was available, which wasn't much as they were still talking about Orochimaru's defection, which made Anko flinch whenever she heard the name and rub her neck gingerly. The blond had decided he would get rid of it for her, as she was taken out of battle before his knowledge of Fuinjutsu became great. 'Got to love Kage Bunshin's and the memory trick.'

His sensitive ears twitched when he heard something he would have rather not hear. "Come on, it'll be easy." A rather large built man said to his smaller drinking buddy, he had black hair that went down to his shoulders and wore the standard Chunin uniform. His back was to the blond so a face couldn't be identified.

"No way man, I'd rather not in a place like this." The smaller man had shaggy brown hair and dark eyes, a scar running down his left cheek, he also wore the standard Chunin uniform.

"All you have to do is distract the snake whore while I spike her drink. It'll only take a few seconds maybe five max." The burly man replied curtly, their whispers only reaching Naruto due to his enhanced hearing. The blond watched as the smaller man thought about it.

The idiot nodded his head, "Ok, but if I stabbed I'm stabbing you." The larger man snorted as they moved together towards the unsuspecting teen. The burly one went to her right, using Kakashi's blind spot so he couldn't see him. The skinny man walked up to her right and patted her on the back to get her attention. The blond couldn't see what her reaction was, but looking on the Chunin's face it wasn't a nice one.

The deed was done and Anko drank the rest of her now spiked drink and left the café, a large pile of sticks left on her plate. It was only then Naruto berated himself, he could have stopped it. He reached into his pocket to grab his wallet and left the money on the table with a tip. He slipped behind Kakashi and pickpocketed a shuriken from his back pouch, not a good weapon for melee, but good enough to encase his fist around leaving one of the spines to poke out between his fingers.

XXX

Anko stumbled towards her home. She had come straight to the bar after reporting to the Hokage from a small mission she took. The Sandaime didn't want her going on any but she had made him stating that if she wasn't kept busy her mind and sanity would wane. There was a reason there were so few retirees, Shinobi could never truly relax unless forced to due to crippled, a ninja's worst nightmare.

The kunoichi lived within the northern sector, a decent place and better than the southern sector where one would call it 'the Ghetto'. The only reason she had a place in the northern sector was because of Orochimaru, he had preferred that she lived closer to him, less hassle in case he wanted to find her, the sick bastard. The snake mistress had drank too much, the mission she went on was rather bloody, not that she minded, just picturing them as the traitor. She leaned to the side and walked into an alley to vomit up the contents of her stomach. One would think that being immune to most poisons, alcohol wouldn't affect you so much.

After relieving her stomach, it started to act up again, the pain was unbearable. Anko collapsed to her knees as her mind started to grow dark, as did her eyesight. She didn't even hear the footsteps coming from behind her.

XXX

Hiroshi couldn't believe his luck, the sleeping poison he had bought off a random shady merchant had paid off. And now he finally had the object of his fantasies, the snake whore of Orochimaru's. The black haired man had first met the young Kunoichi when he was an instructor within the Academy, she was one of his first students. It didn't mean much to him then as she was only a child. It wasn't until a few years of teaching her that he noticed her changes, she was growing into a young woman, and with his teachings a fine kunoichi.

Then Orochimaru had walked into his classroom one day, he had been watching them during sparring practices and chose Anko to be his apprentice. She agreed and he never saw her again until during the Third War on the front lines with her master, a twelve year old fighting with the ferocity of a few Jounin with the skills of Orochimaru. His desire for her grew even more. Hiroshi knew he wouldn't be able to get close to her because of her master, so he bided his time, waiting until she finished her apprenticeship and Orochimaru wouldn't continuously be around. It eventually happed.

After the Kyuubi attack, Orochimaru wasn't around much always coming and going and Anko went with him. Two months ago, Anko didn't came back from one of the snake Sannin's training trips. ANBU were sent to their last known location and found Anko unconscious with a seal between her neck and right shoulder. It was only now could Hiroshi find the time to strike. His eyes roved over her, taking in her strong legs and the curves of her body.

He reached down and lifted her to her knees, groping her as he did. "Nice, B to C cup." He said aloud, his partner not believing what he was doing.

The man paled, "This is what you were doing?" They were going to get found out, he was going to be an accessory to rape, and the jail time was at least twenty years to death.

Hiroshi smiled as he slipped a hand underneath her skirt, "I've been planning this for years Karo, since you are an accessory you might as well join in." He ran a finger over her shaven womanhood before slipping in a finger. "She's a virgin, it makes it even more sweeter." It wasn't the first time he had done this, there were a few other girls as well, but none of them matched up to Anko.

Karo's heart ran at a million beats per second, there was no way he was going to join in, raping a teenage girl that was also a fellow Shinobi. The gallows beckoned him, though it wouldn't be the gallows that got him. He felt a stinging sensation across his neck before it turned warm and his vision began to darken. Karo turned his head slightly before seeing the ghost of the Yondaime Hokage, taking vengeance for him even being Hiroshi's friend.

Naruto stalked up to the larger man, as his friend collapsed silently to the ground. He frowned in disgust, there was nothing more in the world more vile than rape, especially children. He had seen more than his fair share too. The blond grabbed Hiroshi's head and snapped it sharply. He was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he never noticed anything out of place. The time-traveller was pleased that nothing got too far out of hand, he fixed up Anko's clothes before picking her up bridal style.

"Now to remember where she lived." Naruto said to himself, although, she lived in the western district in his time. She had said that she used to live in the northern until the apartment building burnt down due to arson, never actually saying where. The blond sighed, a hotel would have to do.

XXX

Kakashi watched from the rooftop, he had noticed when the blond swiped a shuriken from his pouch. He had heard the conversation himself, his hearing also enhanced due to the close relation to his summons. He was glad that Anko was safe, the girl didn't need rape added to the list of emotional and physical trauma's. This also added to Kakashi's theory that the man wasn't a civilian, he moved with too much grace, always quick but silent footsteps, a battle-hardened Shinobi.

"He walks the streets like he knows them like the back of his hand, he took out the Chunin with little problem and has enough respect to help out a stranger. Who are you and where did you come from?" The silver haired ANBU spoke as he shunshin'd away to report to his leader.


	3. Chapter 3

**Regret**

The sun began to rise in the East as the moon began to fall in the West, as should the natural order be. But to a young man, the moon should be blood red and never fade, bathing the world in crimson blood. Naruto sat on the seat that was built before a large glass window, allowing a grand view over the central district where the hotel was situated. He rested his head on the wall, his blond locks brushing the smooth plaster, the tiny bumps massaging his head as he moved. He didn't sleep, if anything it was a nap of an hour or two. One had to grow used to having no sleep during wartime, always alert and never fully asleep.

Since anything could happen in a second, a quick nap will typically fill chakra reserves to anywhere between quarter to half full. His body had adapted to this, using the hour naps to fully replenish them before disaster struck. It happened to everyone, and the medics got by on less.

Naruto shook the thoughts from his head, it was now in the past, and looked out at the central district, few people were moving about in the early morning, merchants preparing and stocking for the day, the people that had camped outside of the Southern Gate and those who worked in trades such as bakers, blacksmiths, plumbers, electricians, always working to maintain order, health and safety. He had spotted a few Uchiha Police officers, their blue form fitting uniforms with the Uchiha fan on the back. All Uchiha on the police force were Shinobi, the ones that will never obtain their Sharingan.

The Police Force was necessary, they maintained order, solved the problems that Shinobi don't have time for, mingle with the civilians and shows that Konoha has numbers to any visiting foreigner that they have military personal to waste. That in itself is important. If one were to walk into another Hidden Village and only see civilians in the streets, many would assume that their numbers are spread thin trying to maintain an income to keep themselves together. But if highly trained men and women walked among them, maintaining constant vigilance and upholding the laws while the other military personal gained income for their village.

The Police Force also had the populaces support considering they're the ones that are showing their faces every day and helping them, protecting them. This was why the Uchiha started to wrest control from the Hokage. Without people, there is no village. Fugaku knew this and used his position on the council to slowly gain control. Once the Uchiha had the Hokage position it would be passed down from Father to Son, never allowing it to leave Uchiha dominance. 'You really fucked up Madara.' He thought irritably.

The blond cracked his back and rested comfortably again. The Uchiha Massacres had to happen again, the current Uchiha were too arrogant and pretentious, believing they had the right to have the power and control within Konoha. Also believing it should be theirs since the Senju were practically extinct. Even though Itachi was ordered to do it, someone would have taken it into their own hands before long. Itachi needed to kill his clan again, Obito would help him to do so and Itachi would keep an eye on him. Or he could be taken out there and then, if that failed, he would train Sasuke to become a proper Shinobi that won't betray his village and end up destroying it. 'Not this time,' The blond vowed, 'I will have to die before Konoha gets destroyed again.'

Naruto shook his head from cold thoughts, there was no point in worrying over it now, that bridge would be crossed when it gets built. Speaking of bridges, would it be prudent to talk to the Sandaime about these matters. 'Surely the old man would believe me? But then again if someone strode into my office saying that Konoha will get destroyed in about eighteen years, I'd lock him up and execute him for threatening the safety of the village.' Yes, if he was going to talk to the Hokage, a carefully thought out plan would be needed. Too many people needlessly knowing future events would greatly change them, it was bad enough he was already doing it just by being here, even then it was uncertain.

The blond sighed, 'Just play by ear and alter slightly to get it back on track.' He turned his head towards the bedroom door where Anko Mitarashi was sleeping off her alcohol and sleeping poison concoction from the night before. He could already sense the shit-storm that was going to happen when she wakes up in a strange bed and room. Hopefully the hang-over would kill it off. Then another random thought popped into the ex-Jinchuriki's mind. 'I can get drunk now! No stupid biju to purge and burn it out of me.'

Yes the world was looking up for the time traveller.

XXX

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the 'Kami no Shinobi' and 'The Professor', sat behind his large desk, looking through a crystal ball. He was watching the man that Kakashi brought to his attention last night, he certainly did look like Minato, but there were differences, very minute as they were. The ANBU had told him that the blond had one blue eye in his left socket and a dark onyx in his right socket, a type of heterochromia perhaps. He had long spikey hair that went down to the centre of his back and was currently tied into a ponytail and had two bangs framing his face, one covering his right eye as he looked out the window. He also had six whisker marks that the old Hokage could scarcely see, it was only due to the magnification abilities of the crystal ball that he could.

The Sandaime released the chakra that powered the ball, it grew dimmer until it turned see-through. With a wave of his hand Sarutobi opened the curtains and flooded his office with the early natural light. The man slightly bothered him, his whisker marks had only been seen on one other, but the child was two years old and it would be highly impossible for Minato and Kushina to have a son who is roughly twenty considering they were twenty-eight or so themselves. The man could be a relative of Minato or Kushina, maybe the whisker marks are special birthmarks. 'Not possible, the reason Naruto has them is because his mother was a Jinchuriki, otherwise Kushina would have gained them when the fox went in and Mito-Sama never got them either…'

No, something else was the reason.

The Hokage ignored his piles and piles of paperwork, this matter was more pressing. He strode out of his office and told his secretary to cancel all appointments and walked towards the stairs that would take him down to the ground floor. He then walked to the large bookshelf and pressed under the upper left lip of the topmost shelf, it slid along the grooves imbedded into the tiling, revealing another stairway. Perhaps cliché, but not expected due to the amount of traffic. The hidden stairs led down to the basement levels, this was where the ANBU personnel resided either during their term or in between missions, further down were the ANBU prisons and down even further hid the most dangerous archive known to Shinobi. Well not known, as only the Hokage even got to know of its existence.

It was created after the founding of Konoha, the Shodai created the tower and everything beneath it, especially the vault. Not your typical steel type, it was made from his Mokuton wood, stronger than what the village walls were. He literally poured all his chakra to make a twenty by twenty safe that was easily ten thick, perhaps more. He had his brother to personally seal it with a special blood seal with a fifty-four hand-seal sequence that changed each year. Hiruzen didn't know how it worked exactly, but it kind of works like Kage Bunshin in the case of the new hand-sequence. Once it changes it implants the new sequence directly in his mind and it stays there so he can never forget it until it changes once more.

He had never actually had a reason to enter the vault before, the Forbidden Scroll was locked in his office as it only had Kuinjutsu which wasn't too much of a worry, though dangerous if someone actually stole it. But within the confines of the vault, it held the darkest secrets of Konoha that Danzo would cower in fear himself if he knew. Hiruzen didn't actually believe that they were that dark, but during the life of the Shodai and Nidaime before Konoha existed, who knew. But that was also why he was down here, the Nidaime dabbled in Jikūkan Ninjutsu (Space-Time), his Edo Tensei was created from the edited formula of Summoning Contracts, which only the Contract Holders themselves discuss to their Shinobi wielders.

The Sandaime stopped before the darkened wood safe, it really was large and imposing. The last time he was here was when he had to add his blood to the seal when he first became Hokage. None the less the Hokage bit his thumb and swiped it across the sealing array on the standard 2 by 3 door (width then length) and proceeded to go through the designated hand-seals.

After the fifty-fourth sign, the black seal glowed a brilliant red with orange and yellow flecks. Hiruzen chuckled, 'The Will of Fire huh.' It soon faded and a slight 'click' signified that the safe was open, he grabbed the handle and turned it, pushing the door open to its full swing. "Let us get started then," The Hokage put his hands in a rather familiar hand-seal, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.**"

XXX

Naruto sat at the small table that adorned his hotel room, a book sat open in front of him as did a few take-away dishes. He had left for breakfast and brought some food back for when Anko would awake, she would eat dangos hot or cold. The book that was in front of him was empty, a fresh notebook which he would write something in it, that something would be his life. Edited of course and emphasising the creative. The thought had crossed through his mind while he stared out of the window, he wanted to leave a mark on the world, although it was his chance to make sure that there was even a world to mark. And what better way to leave his mark than through literature, the immortal art.

The ex-jinchuriki chuckled slightly, "Deidara and Sasori have it wrong, literature is never ending until the art is lost, only to be found again." He knew somewhere the two art freaks shuddered for unknown reasons.

The blond loved Jiraiya's '_Tale of a Gutsy Shinobi'_, it was his guide, everything that happened in the book actually happened, not the same way of course but the concept is the same, except he failed in the end. A second chance was needed, given by the person who he had lost to, only because he regretted enslaving the world he loved.

Naruto leaned back in his chair and chewed on the pencil he had mindlessly, he had no idea how to start it, or what he would put in it, hell, he didn't even have a title prepared. Further thoughts were interrupted as the bedroom door creaked open, with Anko warily peering out.

"Morning, how do you feel?" Naruto asked politely as he set down the pencil, he noticed that she watched his movements warily, good.

"Like shit," She groaned out before scowling, "now who the fuck are you and where am I?"

"My, such vulgar words coming from a beautiful young lady, many a man would be pleased, or afraid. I am Arashi Kazuma" He replied grinning slightly. Anko was taken a little back from his carefree attitude and the fact that he didn't know who she was, which meant he was new.

Brushing it off quickly she scoffed, "Whatever, I don't really care, now where am I? Some upper class hotel in the central of Konoha?" The purple haired Kunoichi slowly stepped out of the doorway, carefully looking around the room for traps or signs of anything suspicious.

Arashi opened his mouth in mock astonishment, "Wow, you must be super perceptive Miss Mitarashi." That made Anko freeze, not the sarcasm, she could live with that, the fact he did know her. He seemed to notice, "I checked your wallet, it's on the dresser a little to your right, by the vase."

Anko eased out of her mild shock, was she so out of it last night that the guy got a hold of her? Or that a simple check of her jacket would reveal so much about her. She was a Kunoichi, an elite, something like this should have never gotten her. She looked to her right and snatched up her wallet before quickly perusing it, nothing was shifted too much, just a simple check with nothing gone.

"You're lucky, by now any guy acting this familiar with me would be full of kunai." She joked, although it had a hidden threat in it. 'Real smart Anko, play aloof and bitchy to a guy that could be a possible Shinobi stronger than you. It worked real well with Orochimaru's friends.'

"So it would seem," He said while watching her, "Care for some dango? Slightly cold I'm afraid, picked them up an hour or so ago." Arashi saw that she looked at the door quickly, wondering if she could get there before him since the window was a no go as she had to go past him. "They aren't poisoned, if you were wondering," The seemingly random remark got her to focus back on him, "even if they were, I doubt someone with your, training, would feel the effects."

Anko froze up again, the fourteen year old couldn't believe it, 'Him too, why does everyone know who I am.' A tear threatened to escape, until she was jolted out of her reverie.

"Just bloody sit down and eat the fucking dango." The blonde yelled, happy that she quickly did as she was told. 'Just a firm hand is needed, stupid teenage angst.' He sighed and leaned back into his chair again, what to do for the foreseeable future?

One could only do so much, being a Shinobi at the moment would just be a waste of his talents, any sort of civilian work was beneath him. Perhaps he would explore the Elemental Nations, he never got to do that outside of missions, in fact he had barely seen half the nation himself firsthand. Majority of it was second hand from clones and mostly barren wastelands after battles.

A small cough grabbed his attention, he sat up a little straighter and looked at the offending owner of the noise. "Yes Mitarashi-san?" He noticed that Anko had shrunk back into her seat, looking like a scared little girl. How he hated that look.

"Thank you for your hospitality, the dango was good." At least her voice was strong, not like her future tomboyish tone, "If I may inquire, why did you bring me here?"

Arashi shrugged, "I was walking here anyway from the bar, which you happened to be in last night, and found you passed out in an alleyway. Being a gentleman that didn't know where you lived, brought you with me. If it makes you feel any better I didn't touch you in anyway except checking your wallet, I slept by the window out here." The best lies had a grain of truth, though he probably didn't need to reveal that much.

Anko nodded slowly, "Thank you then, I'll just be on my way." She stood up and bowed slightly before heading towards the front door. She opened it only to step back in fright as an ANBU Officer stood there, wearing a wolf mask. "ANBU-san, can I help you." Anko recovered quickly.

"Indeed, is there a blond haired man in this hotel room?" He knew there was, he was just being polite. Anko didn't have to respond as the man in question stood next to her.

"Hmm, if I didn't know any better, by your uniform you would be ANBU, and if I'm right then I am requested to meet your leader, by which I have no choice as if I chose to run you would be required to catch me with non-lethal force until I proved a nuisance then lethal would be available. Am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well then, it was a pleasure meeting you Mitarashi-san, if neither of you mind I'll then go meet with your leader, post-haste." Suddenly the man wasn't there anymore, he just vanished.

The ANBU groaned, "Why do I get the basket cases?" Anko uncharacteristically giggled at the ANBU's plight.

XXX

Hiruzen once again sat behind his desk, after spending an hour in the vault searching for anything relating to space-time ninjutsu he had finally found something. Nothing really specific, unless you add it all together. It seemed the Nidaime had written everything he knew into separate scrolls and threw in random things to throw off someone just glancing through it. Since he was looking at any tidbit of information, when the clones he used dispelled, it all came to him in a heap, but once he sorted out the random info, it became clear.

His research was now sitting in a scroll right in front of him, nothing really incriminating, just the important things regarding portals, fabrics of realities, warping of times and unknowns causes of distortions and a lot of theories.

He had sent Kakashi to retrieve their mystery guest a few minutes ago, so it shouldn't be long until they arrived. Hiruzen smiled briefly as he felt Kakashi's chakra signature, he appeared in the room via shunshin in front of him kneeling. There was no sign of their guest.

"Where is he Wolf?" He asked, his tone commanding, as it was when dealing with his elite.

Kakashi looked up and around the room, and focused on a spot right behind the Hokage, he could see a strand of blond hair. "Right behind you Hokage-Sama."

Hiruzen had a surprised look on his face as he turned his head, there was nothing. He turned in his chair and found him, crouching behind the large chair like a five-year old. The man pouted, which looked really wrong on him.

"Damn, you found me too easily, should have hidden on top of the bookshelf, no-one ever looks up." The blond mused as he stood up, showing the Hokage that he was of decent height. He walked around the desk and stood to attention in front of Hiruzen, a full 180 from his childish antics. The blond then bowed elegantly, "Arashi Kazuma, wanderer extraordinaire, the mere mention of my name in some circles send the women wild and men to flee in fear, at your service Hokage-Sama."

'Spoke to soon,' both Kakashi and Hiruzen thought, 'That was almost like Jiraiya's introductions these days.'

The Hokage shook his head, "Of course you are, though in all my years I've never heard of you."

"That's because if my name even escaped those certain circles, all hell would break loose. As the sensei of a well known information dealer, you should understand how it works." Arashi grinned lightly. He had no idea why he was playing around like this, but he was enjoying it.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly, "Of course, though who Jiraiya's sensei was is a rather tightly kept secret within Konoha."

"Please, if it is it is one of Konoha's worse kept secrets. There are plenty of people who have seen you when you were younger with the three Sannin that aren't from Konoha. It also didn't help that Jiraiya actually wrote a bibliography about his genin years…"

"HE DID WHAT!" Hiruzen exploded. Something like that was beyond stupid, it would reveal many secrets about Konoha and their training techniques.

"Unpublished of course, jeez, as if he is that stupid. Anyway, I doubt I was summoned to talk about one of your students." Arashi steered the conversation, talking to an irate Hokage that could kill him where he stood was not a good idea, since he knew things that would prevent the future/past from repeating.

Hiruzen breathed deeply and eventually calmed down, he waved his hand and a presence lifted from the room, signally that the ANBU had left, except for Kakashi. He opened his eyes and was a little surprised, both Kakashi and Arashi were now sitting on the chairs that were on the side of the room, which were now in front of his desk. "When?"

The blond shrugged, "While you were hyperventilating, which isn't a good idea at your age, you should relax more."

The Hokage sighed, the stranger was right. "Alright then, onto something Wolf here brought to my attention last night, you." The blond didn't flinch, he knew it was coming. "Who are you really, Arashi Kazuma is an alias once used by Minato Namikaze and only a few people were privy to the name as anyone else that heard it was disposed of. Not to mention Wolf found you falling out of the sky and nearly right on top of him. A preliminary check showed you to be perfectly fine except for the state of your clothes.

Although your features also raised suspicions, your heterochromia being one of them, the type of eye in your right socket would normally conflict with such a colour of your left, genetically it would be a hazel or green, so it would mean it would be an implant. And in all my years I've only known certain people to have that colour, and your whisker marks have never been seen before except on one person. Finally your hair, that shade is to bright and dark at the same time to be compared to anyone in Kumo and the Yamanaka's, not to mention the style that it has grown in and resembles a man who died a few years ago.

What happened Naruto?" Hiruzen was only guessing, but the why the blond's eye shimmered meant he was right. Messing with time and space was one thing, but throwing people around in time was another. There being two Naruto's could rip the fabric of their reality and destroy it, theoretically of course. Kakashi didn't say anything at all, he was just listening, the fact that were two of sensei's son was too much, not to mention this one was older than him.

Arashi hung his head, he wasn't too surprised, Hiruzen was one of the smartest people alive next to the Nara's, Orochimaru and eventually Itachi. "Was it that easy to figure it out? Just like you old man. To answer your question, just a dead mans' ambitions coming true. I was unsure whether or not to come to you, the things I know could save the Elemental Nations or destroy it."

The aged Hokage looked at Naruto, he was broken, afraid and above all depressed. The things he must have witnessed and had to do, he couldn't imagine. "I take it there was a war?"

"Old man, it was THE war, the war that would decide everything, if the Shinobi Era would fall or be wiped from existence for good. Either way, win or lose, we would have lost everything. We were decimated, not enough Shinobi to even fill an Academy was all that was left, and most of them were genin, a few chunin, a handful of jounin, a fragile old lady and there was me."

"What happened? Why are you here?"

"I can't reveal much, you know about the saying where knowledge is power and all that and that too much can corrupt," Hiruzen just nodded, "yeah, basically it came down to three people, I had trouble against the first one, I won in the end by using his rage against him, chakra exhaustion and a thick kunai to the face a few times, believe it or not, my first kill. Throughout my entire Shinobi career, I never killed anyone, the things I did kill weren't even human so they didn't count.

The second fight didn't go so well, I was near death when I unleashed my trump card, we killed him in the end, but then it turned on me, severed the link, became free, then killed me. I didn't even need to face down the final one, he didn't need to do anything in the end except just sit back and watch before reaping the benefits. So I died, I failed the Elemental Nations, my friends… my loved ones, myself, but above all, Konoha and her Will of Fire."

The room went deadly silent, each one of them barely breathing. There was nothing one could say to that, to the broken man, having to live through that. Until Kakashi broke it, "How did you come back?"

Arashi sighed, "This doesn't leave us and I doubt it can be recreated," He leaned his head to the side and pulled down his collar. Kakashi leaned around while Hiruzen just stared at it, it was exactly like Tsunade's creation, but with added effects. "this is what brought me back, I don't know how. But knowing me, extreme fucking luck, the will of the recipient, and another life force."

Hiruzen closed his mouth and wet his lips, them caking at the information, "So the fragile old lady…" The blond hung his head low again.

"Yeah, she was like a mother to me and I her son…"

"I'm sorry," Hiruzen replied sincerely, who would've thought that Tsunade would care for someone like that again. "I need to know, how did you end up here."

"Basically, the third man that brought down the Elemental Nations, regretted what he had done. Since he couldn't do it himself since he was too old and technically dead, he chose me instead. Weaker than him, but able to get the job done and the fact that I was alive helped. He gave his right eye after ripping mine out, sadistic bastard. No one ever told me that having your eye gouged out hurt so much. To make matters worse he improvised, created a jutsu on the spot that enveloped me next thing I know I wake up on the Hokage Monument, overlooking a built Konoha that isn't charred buildings and ash."

He looked out of the window, believe it or not it was sunset, the talk took longer than he thought and now two people know of his true existence. Kakashi and Hiruzen took it all in, this was huge and judging by the age of this Naruto, they had at least sixteen years to prepare, if that.

The Hokage leaned back in his chair, only one question remained. "What are you going to do now?"

The blond just stared out the window, "To tell the truth, I don't know. These events are going to happen years from now, if anything I'll just explore the Elemental Nations, never having the chance to do so in my time, create my own network, something to keep me busy until the younger me is old enough or until something sinister requires my hand"

"Well, since you technically aren't part of any village I really have no control over you and I know you won't reveal any of the villages secrets, because you don't know any at this time. Though, I'd need an assessment of your skills."

Arashi just shrugged, "I can most likely match the Fourth Raikage for speed and power, with his lightning armour on," Both men paled at that, only Minato could match the Raikage for speed due to the Hiraishin, "But to tell the truth, I don't know anymore, I don't have Kur… Kyuubi in me anymore, so I need to test myself on my own."

"But I can't just let you out of the village by yourself," Hiruzen argued, he could but he wanted to keep an eye on the man. Not that he didn't trust him, more to the fact that the man didn't trust himself. Arashi looked at him funny, more of a 'you can't stop me old man' than 'haha' funny. "I would like someone to go with you, to keep an eye on you.

The young man just waved it off, "Whatever, company might be nice, might be nice to have a sparring partner once in a while. If there is nothing else Hokage-Sama, I'll take my leave. Surely there is a giant stack of paperwork waiting for you in front of the office door. Goodnight." Once again he just disappeared, no smoke or leaves with his shunshin.

"Hokage-Sama, if I may…"

"Sorry Kakashi, your services are more valuable here, besides I already have someone in mind who would like to get out of the village for a time."

"But sir,"

"No buts, it may be an indefinite amount of time, and I doubt that Naruto would let her skills rust while she's with him. In fact it would be very good for her." Hiruzen smiled softly and Kakashi soon caught on.

"Should I bring her in now?"

"You might as well, I have a feeling if we don't he'll run as soon as he makes his preparations." Kakashi just nodded and shunshinned out of the office. The Hokage swung around in his chair and looked out over the Village Hidden in the Leaves and imagined it burning, he just couldn't. 'The wind of monumental change has arrived, or is it a maelstrom of revenge.'

**Jutsu's of previous**

**Jikan no Gyaku **(Chapter 1 – Basically means Time Reversal or Reversal of Time)  
**Nagareru Amaterasu **(Chapter 1 – Pretty much means _Literal English _Flowing Illuminating Heaven)


	4. Chapter 4

**Regret**

Anko Mitarashi stood in front of the Hokage's door patiently, the purple haired kunoichi had no idea what to expect. In fact, she was downright frightened. The same ANBU that she had opened her apartment door to, was the same one that from the hotel and who was standing right behind her at the moment. She feared that the man she was with earlier today was a missing-nin, or had done something terrible or something along that line.

Ever since her 'sensei's' betrayal to the leaf and being his 'apprentice', most believed she would turn on them as well. Even though she wouldn't, it is hard to change the mind of the populous once they believe something firmly, like the baby Jinchuriki. Idiotic villagers believed it to be the Kyuubi incarnate, it was like they had no faith in the Fourth Hokage, who had pretty much single handedly stopped the Third Shinobi War.

She sighed when she remembered something her 'sensei' said,

'Civilians are like sheep, they follow their Sheppard, once that sheppard is gone they find another and so forth, but their sheppard isn't the wisest, it is in fact the most stupidest person among _their_ class they can find as everything that goes wrong can be pinned on him. While I'm amused by their stupidity of the world, it enrages me that they are stupid in the first place. If I ever find out you follow someone like that, I will kill you so slowly you would die of old age before I will have even finished.'

It was safe to say Anko took that saying to heart, but in saying that, not aloud mind you, that the Hokage would be pretty stupid as well. Why would you tell an enraged and terrified populous that the demon that decimated their homes and loved ones now resided within a weak, newborn baby that had no control over its future. Stupidity at its finest.

Anko was startled out of her thoughts as the ANBU's arm shot past her head and rapped on the door to the Hokage's office. She swallowed a lump that made its way into her throat, it was time to see if her rampart mind was correct.

They waited for a few seconds before the elderly man's voice told them to enter. Seeing as Anko wouldn't open the door, Wolf did it for her. It swung open without a sound and it revealed the Hokage surrounded by a mountain of paperwork, who seemed to be ignoring it for something that he was working on.

He looked up and ushered them in while he sat down his pen and laced his fingers together. "Thank you Wolf, you may leave." Wolf gave a small nod and disappeared. "Take a seat Anko."

Anko hesitantly closed the door behind her and made her way to one of the chairs in front of the desk and sat down.

"Now, I know you are wondering why you are here," Hiruzen began, getting a slight nod as his answer, "what do you know about the man you were with earlier today?"

"I don't know anything about him, other than the fact that he was kind enough to not leave me passed out in the streets, and to get me breakfast, despite it was cold. And that he also has a very strange personality, I mean that cheesy line about a 'fine young lady' swearing like I did, something like that is something I'd expect from Jiraiya-sama's stupid book." She huffed, the man was a complete mystery.

Hiruzen just chuckled, "Yes he certainly is strange, but very skilled in stealth. He was here before Wolf and was hiding behind my chair and pouted like a child when I found him. The scary thing is, if he were an assassin, he avoided me and the ANBU in the room. His chakra was completely suppressed, a skill near impossible to do." 'Considering his reserves if he actually is Naruto and if the Fourth's seal works correctly.' He thought to himself, it was definitely something to look into. He then noticed the look Anko had; it was a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"Him? A master assassin that could have killed a Kage?"

"For all I know he could have, there are no records of him anywhere in any Bingo Books and a true assassin would never be pinned." Sarutobi knew he was making Naruto seem bigger than he was, it would prove to be amusing when the mission reports come in.

Anko just nodded, she had to get him to train her. "Is that all Hokage-sama?"

"Oh yes, onto business. I have an A-ranked mission lined up for you Anko." Her eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets.

"Really! An A-ranked mission for a Chunin… what's the catch?"

"Glad to see some of my shinobi ask for details rather than take the mission then find out. It's an escort…"

"Aww, I hate those. Somehow I always get stuck with the up-tight nobles or snobby merchants."

The Hokage chuckled, "You do realise the only reason you got those kind of escorts was because of who your sensei was, they liked having the protection of a Sannin, they even payed more for it." Anko's mouthed out 'oh'. "And no, it isn't some noble. Would you like to know or keep it as a surprise?"

Anko just looked at him, "Shinobi don't like surprises, typically 'surprises' consist of ambushes or high-level shinobi when there shouldn't. Who is it?"

"Arashi Kazuma." Hiruzen watched amusedly as Anko's eye's once again nearly bulged out.

"What? Why?"

"Because as Hokage, I can. The mission is an indefinite amount of time, the primary reason for this mission is to keep an eye on him."

"Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, "Because he is an unknown, dangerous, a possible threat, a number of reasons really. But above all, I don't trust him."

"Of course Hokage-sama, I'll take the mission, on one condition."

The Hokage smiled softly, "What is your condition?"

XXX

Naruto stood in the centre of Training Ground 3, where Team 7/Kakashi would meet each day to 'train' in teamwork or obtain useless D-rank missions. He smiled nostalgically at the three posts that stood in front of him, a stream bubbled a little away to his left and in another clearing to his right was the Memorial Stone/Monument.

The training grounds were built for mostly taijutsu and small scale ninjutsu training and weapons. Genjutsu and physical improvement could be done anywhere, but were also typically done within a sanctioned zone, civilians knew not to be anywhere near them at any time of the day or night.

Naruto knelt before the centre post and allowed his hand to brush against it, it was well worn but it wasn't the same as the one he was tied too. Mostly because within the future ten years it would get the scratch marks and become more weathered. He remembered being tied to it, upside down if his memory was correct, for trying to eat their lunch 'reward' for getting the bells from Kakashi. It definitely ended in failure.

He ended up getting hit with the Sennen Goroshi for trying to get the bells by himself, why he thought he could get them from an experienced Jounin while he was a simple Genin was beyond him. Sasuke had a better shot of obtaining them, but he failed miserably as well as he got dragged underground up to his head. And Sakura, he wouldn't have said it then because of his 'crush', but she was utterly useless. Sure she protected them in the Forest of Death, only until Sasuke woke up and broke that Zaku guys arms, in a very painful fashion if he heard correctly. Sakura only became useful later when she became Tsunade's apprentice, and that wasn't until he left with Ero-sennin.

Naruto shook his head, reliving these are bad for his health and mental well being, not that they were good in the first place. He stretched out his back as he stood up; it was time to see what the damage was.

He started small, going through some basic kata's that he had learnt in the academy, the fixed versions that is. 'Stupid Mizuki,' Naruto thought irritably as he imagined the man in front of him and punched his face, forcing him to stumble backwards. He kicked low, dropping the image to the ground, with the momentum he brought his leg up and sent it back down harshly. The ground audibly cracked from the blow, Mizuki's chest had caved in, his ribs would have snapped and pierced his lungs and possibly his heart. The image faded away and Naruto kept going, picking up the pace.

He knew something was off the second he started, and that kick was chakra enforced, his control was better without the turbulent chakra of Kurama, but he was weaker. The ground should have been a decent sized dent, not cracked earth. He kept up until he reached a tree and punched it with all his strength. There was a loud 'snap' and Naruto recoiled, holding his now broken hand. The tree groaned slightly and that was it.

He eyed the damage, just a small fist sized hole, that…was unacceptable. If he did that with Kurama the tree would be dead or depending on the size have an arm length hole in it. He know realised something, Kurama had done everything for him, it was why he didn't have to train as hard in the physical aspect, the fox did it for him. He powered everything up, his muscle strength, his bone density, dulled pain receptors, it made him a powerful frontline fighter.

Now, without him to heal him faster, added power to his attacks, the extra chakra, the useful combat advice, early warnings, he was…

"Normal…" Naruto breathed out, the word was foreign to him. Since his birth he was different. Growing up he had been different, even when he was with the other orphans, they were alike, but he wasn't, he was always an outcast. It wasn't until his graduation day that he knew why he was different, he was a Jinchuriki.

A power of _human sacrifice_.

Naruto slumped to the ground, all these thoughts and feelings were running rampant through his mind, for once in his life he was normal and for him, that was dangerous. For once in his existence, he was weak, and it scared him. He couldn't be normal, he was given a task to complete and Naruto never failed his missions, if he couldn't help it.

'No,' he thought to himself, 'this doesn't change anything.' It was the stronger half of his mind, the half that had never let him down. 'It just makes it more challenging, Ero-sennin never said world peace would be easy and neither did Madara. You wouldn't want to let them down now would you? You don't want them to regret entrusting this to you?' Naruto shook his head, he didn't want to fail them, even if Madara was an asshole. 'Then get up and fight!'

Naruto stood up slowly, flexing his hand, a few more minutes and it would be fixed. "Thanks mind." He said aloud, 'Anytime.' It replied. Naruto just stood still and his eyes just opened a little bit wider. He just had an argument with his mind, well a one man pep talk.

"Am I going insane?"

'Probably.'

"Then why are you still talking when I'm me, I should be thinking for this myself."

'Think of it as a side effect of using clones all the time, perhaps the remnants of Kurama's chakra, or your new eye implant or the fact that you're hallucinating due to the pain in your hand.'

Naruto looked down at his hand, it actually was throbbing and bright red. "That is a big probability." Ignoring the pain he walked back to the centre of the training field, he needed to know what he could do at this point in time and work from there.

He sat cross legged on the ground and focused, trying to draw in nature chakra and hold it in place, creating the perfect balance between his and the foreign chakra. This continued for a few minutes, but he felt no different. He could feel the chakra intermingle with his own, it was in him, but there was no warmth, no sudden surge of power.

Naruto frowned and opened his eyes, the world was clearer and more sharp, nothing really out of place with that. He stood up flexed, bones in his hand snapping back into place and breaking out the kinks that he didn't know about before. He went through a quick version of his Kawazu Kumite and found nothing wrong with it, but he knew something was.

He quickly made his way over to the stream and checked his reflection, the orange pigmentation around his eyes was the same but his eyes just had the golden hue, his right being darker than his left. His pupils were unchanged , instead of the horizontal bar stature like the Toads.

Naruto scratched his head in frustration, so many of his abilities and power have been lost to him and now Senjutsu, how the hell was he supposed to defeat Obito like this? He allowed himself to fall flat on his back and look up at the night sky. The stars sparkled brightly up there, so care free and beautiful. The moon was full and pale making no-one expect that the most dangerous thing in existence resided within it. Naruto breathed in deeply, this was the world that he swore he would protect. He failed once and he wouldn't do so again.

With a kick of his legs he righted himself and placed his hands in his most used seal, "**Kage-bunshin no Jutsu.**" Twenty clones popped in existence and all dispelled at once as the original yelled in pain. He fell to his knees and clutched his head with the sensory overload. He ground his teeth as the pain subsided. 'What the fuck was that?'

Naruto shook his head clear and stood up again, perhaps one clone would do. It popped into existence next to him, without seals. He didn't need them for more than ten clones having the specific pathway pretty much adapted. Although in his current state of Kyuubi-less he shouldn't use so many.

He cocked his head to the side, he could see himself despite his eyes being closed. Naruto opened his and looked at the clone in front of him, or was he still looking at himself. There were two Naruto's in his vision. "Ok, what's happening?"

The clone, or him, just shrugged, "I don't know boss, I feel fine, despite looking at you and seeing me."

"That's because you are me, identical."

"I wouldn't say that." The clone stepped forward and brushed his hair aside, a Rinnegan eye was plainly visible. The original looked at it with scrutiny, it definitely was an Rinnegan eye, you wouldn't forget that doujutsu in a hurry.

"Can you turn it off?" The clone blinked a few times.

"Nope, no idea." Naruto scratched his head, there was something that activated and de-activated doujutsu's.

"Uh, something about focusing chakra to the eyes? How the hell would I know, I've never had one." This is what he loved and hated about his clones, they always had personality.

"Ah, that makes sense." The clone blinked again and the Rinnegan deactivated, becoming an onyx eyeball once again. Now the original could only see the clone in front of him and not himself in the process.

'Is that the kind of vision Nagato had? No wonder he went insane.' He thought as he rubbed his face, thanks Madara. "Ok, apparently I have the rinnegan as well…" The clone then walked up to him and slapped him.

"Stupid original, it was Madara's eye in the first place so of course it would the Rinnegan… just not in the way we expected it too." The clone then spun around and walked away a little, "Since _we _have the Rinnegan, do we get the cool abilities?"

Naruto rubbed his cheek absentmindedly, it was a possibility… so in that sense, if it was possible, could his first six clones that he made be the Six Paths? Or just any clone he creates? "I wouldn't know, try something the first path would have used."

The clone shrugged and thought of the different paths and their abilities, despite not knowing some of them since a few were killed before they faced Pein/Nagato. The clone blinked and the Rinnegan rippled into life, the purple spread from the pupil and covered the eye as the black ripples, rippled across the eye. The clone held out his hand, fingers splayed.

"**Shinra Tensei.**"

Nothing. No sudden spike of Chakra, no invisible barrier repelling Naruto into the thick trees, nothing, other than the laughter of the said original since the clone looked really serious. The clone developed a tick mark on his brow as he watched _himself_ roll around on the grass laughing like a mad man. The clone surged forward and punted the original in the face, even though he saw it coming due to the Rinnegan being active hence having the image sent directly to his brain, sending him spiralling into the nearest tree face first, leaving a nice impression in the rough bark. The clone huffed then dispelled, leaving behind a small cloud of smoke that wafted serenely away in the minute breeze.

Naruto groaned as he rolled onto his back once more, clearly the use of the Six Paths was not an option, so what was? He rubbed his face, feeling the scratches that littered it healing under his touch. So was having the Rinnegan a moot point? Sure it allowed him to see what his clones did, that was a bonus, use them as sentries during his fights to see everything at once, but once they dispelled he got the information anyway. Perhaps it was a matter of practice?

Further thoughts were dismantled as he felt a presence enter the field. The ANBU agent landed softly on the ground beside him. Tilting his head a little Naruto saw that it was Wolf.

"Kazuma-san. Hokage-sama wanted me to inform you that the South Gate will be used to see off your departure." Wolf simply said before leaving, already knowing that he would be there.

Naruto waved goodbye to him, "Understood." Despite the fact that he was no longer there, "What else to do, anything else would create mass damage and I don't need that…" Luckily his stomach spoke for him. Smiling he calculated what the time was and there was half-an-hour until Ichiraku's closed for the night. Naruto flipped up his feet, made sure that his eye was dormant and took off in a chakra fuelled leap.

**Jutsu List**

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - **Don't know it, not a Naruto Fan.  
**Shinra Tensei - **Gravity Push, varying range. _Literal English - _Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God. _Viz Manga - _Almighty Push


End file.
